


show me the love that we had before

by catalysis



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bookstore, BokuAka Week, BokuAka Week 2020, M/M, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:47:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25799176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catalysis/pseuds/catalysis
Summary: Keiji continues to travel around after that, but he always finds himself drawn to bookstores, small and quiet like the one he fell in love in for the first time. Because that’s how it feels. Every time he meets Koutarou, he falls in love all over again.------for BokuAka Week 2020 Day 1- Bookstore au
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou
Kudos: 31
Collections: Bokuaka Week 2020





	show me the love that we had before

**Author's Note:**

> sorry this is so late,,,,

Keiji's earliest memories are hazy at best. He remembers tall grass and hot summer days, but little else. His memories remain hazy for his first 15 years, and they only start to clear up around the time that he leaves home at 16.

He remembers desperately looking for odd jobs to keep himself from starving. He somehow ended up in a small village where the people eyed him strangely to the point that he was tempted to pick a direction and keep walking, regardless of if he starved to death or not. But then he met an old man, who had looked deep in his eyes and offered him a room in exchange for help around his house. It was unusual, but Keiji hadn’t been in any position to refuse.

The old man had turned out to be a scribe, a poet, a writer of anything and everything. His works were incredible, but he never allowed anyone more than a fleeting peek. Keiji had woken up one day to the man gone and the weight of something deep in his chest. Reminiscing now, Keiji can't quite recall the old man’s name, but he has a feeling it wasn't his real one anyway.

He continued living in that house for a while, until the people around him started getting older and starting families and _changed_. Keiji didn't though, not at all, and people noticed. They whispered of him having communed with evil spirits, and having sold the old man's soul, or of being a _yokai_ himself. So, Keiji had packed a bag and left the little village.

This is when he meets Koutarou for the first time. He's a cheery merchant with dark hair but golden eyes who lets Keiji ride in the back of his wagon. When Keiji gets off at a suitably distant village and tries to pay him, he shakes his head with a smile and continues on his way.

And so Keiji continues. He stays in a place for a few decades and leaves before the whispers can get too loud. Even with the transient nature of his life, he finds a little bit of stability in that every new place he goes to, he finds himself drawn to writing and scrolls and, later, books.

And there’s also another tiny spot of stability in Keiji’s life: every so often, he meets another dark-haired, golden-eyed man, with the same bright personality as Koutarou.

Once he meets Sota, a farmer. Later, he meets Ryusei, an actor. Then, Hayato, a fisherman. The names are different, but Keiji always thinks of him as ‘Koutarou’.

Each iteration of Koutarou helps him in some little way before they part ways, usually after less than a day of knowing each other.

Keiji supposes that if he's immortal, then it makes sense that someone else is too, but Koutarou never recognizes him, or at least acts like he doesn't pretty well.

Keiji is content to let this cycle continue. and he does, at least until he moves to the territory of a middling _daimyo_ and sees his son, Ichirou, who is definitely Koutarou, which is confusing to say the least. Keiji chooses not to think too hard about it.

Until Koutarou-- Ichirou, whatever-- comes up to him at the small bookstore he works at.

“Good morning!” Koutarou says.

“Good morning,” Keiji returns, bowing politely.

“You’re new in town, right? I’m Ichirou.”

Keiji narrows his eyes. Maybe he’s mistaken? maybe it’s not Koutarou?

“Yes. I arrived three days ago. I’m Keiji.” Keiji decides to try being straightforward. “You look very familiar. Would you happen to know anyone named Koutarou?”

Keiji expects a flash of recognition, a flinch, anything, but Koutarou just cocks his head to the side.

“No? I don’t think so,” he says.

Keiji’s horribly confused.

Either he’s mistaken, which seems really unlikely considering how many times he’s seen Koutarou over the years, or Koutarou’s a really good actor. Or maybe there’s something else going on here.

“I’m sorry for the confusion,” Keiji says, finally, deciding that he’d rather not have to leave town if he continued to antagonize “Ichirou”.

“It’s fine,” Koutarou replies. A familiar wide grin spreads across his face he leans in. “so tell me about yourself, Keiji.”

It’s strange, in a way. Keiji’s used to his encounters with Koutarou being short and fleeting, so having this much time spent with him is a new experience. It is definitely strange that the _daimyo_ ’s son would spend excessive time with a commoner, but no one could really tell him to stop.

Another consequence of this is all of the people drawn to the bookstore hoping to get a chance at interacting with Koutarou. The bookstore’s owner seems pretty happy to have more customers, even if most of them don’t buy anything, and the ones that do seem to be doing it out of politeness.

This Koutarou’s very easy to be friends with. He’s kind, honest, and doesn’t seem to mind when Keiji prefers to listen instead of speak.

It’s so easy that Keiji is shocked the first time Koutarou kisses him. It’s light and quick but it’s unmistakable.

Keiji flinches back the second it happens and Koutarou takes a few steps back as well.

But Keiji thinks about it, and he can't quite think of why he isn't allowed to have this.

“Ichirou… you’re engaged,” Keiji finally manages, weakly.

Koutarou just continues to stare at him. “You know that doesn’t matter, right?” Koutarou steps closer once more. “It’s an arranged marriage, nothing more.”

Keiji knows that’s a terrible excuse, but he’s weak, so he lets Koutarou lean in again.

They get three sweet months with lingering touches and glances behind some bookshelves, and then Koutarou gets married and has to take on more responsibility and Keiji knows that their time is up.

Keiji continues to travel around after that, but he always finds himself drawn to bookstores, small and quiet like the one he fell in love in for the first time. Because that’s how it feels. Every time he meets Koutarou, he falls in love all over again. They even seem to stay connected for longer now. It’s probably because of the growing towns and infrastructure, but Keiji’s sure that the universe has her hand in it, if only a little.

It’s 2020 and Keiji's settled in Tokyo now. He gets a job at yet another quiet bookstore, and he waits.

It's a sweltering Saturday afternoon in July when the little bell above the door jingles and Keiji looks up into golden eyes.

“Welcome,” Keiji calls.

“Ah, thank goodness for air conditioning,” another man with messy black hair says too loudly from behind Koutarou. He drapes an arm around a tall blonde, who makes a face of disgust and steps away coolly.

"Remind me why i hang out with you guys?" the tall blonde asks.

"Tadashi-kun is busy," says the last of the group, a smaller bleach blonde whose eyes are glued to a game device.

The taller blonde scoffs and heads off toward the back of the bookstore.

Keiji turns away from the group and almost startles when he sees Koutarou leaning on the counter in front of him.

Koutarou just continues to stare at him.

“May i help you?” Keiji asks.

“No,” Koutarou says bluntly.

Okay, Keiji supposes that he can work with a bold Koutarou.

“What’s your name?” Keiji decides to ask.

“Bokuto Koutarou.” 

Keiji’s heart skips a beat, but he still offers up the pretty smile he knows Koutarou likes. “I’m Akaashi Keiji.”

“Are you free tonight?”

Keiji grins; maybe he does like it when Koutarou’s bold.

“I finish at eight.”

“Okay!” Koutarou says, “I’ll be back then.”

Keiji smiles. “I’ll be waiting.”

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading :)  
> come yell at me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/nyamayachi)


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